What’s the Difference Between Soot and Charring?

Soot is the residue left after a fire. It has a lot of impurities – all carbon-based – in it, and it’s typically the result of material not burning completely. Soot is typically oily because a lot of the items that burn contain plastic; those molecules get released into the air.

Charring is what happens when parts of an object become blackened because they’re partly burned. Anything can char – it’s a chemical process that removes hydrogen and oxygen from the object, and what’s left is mainly carbon.

How to Deal With Soot Yourself

First, vacuum away soot that’s on the surface of objects. Once you’ve removed all that you can, soak a sponge in a gallon of warm water with one tablespoon of TSP. Wipe one section of the wall at a time, using firm strokes.

Once all the soot is removed, you’ll still need to prime and repaint the walls. For most people, it makes sense to hire a fire and smoke damage expert to tackle these tough jobs for them – it’s a pretty time-consuming process, particularly when you don’t have professional-grade tools.